Flax-harvesting machine.



Fig. l.

J. H. PHILIPP & C. F. GARAGHTY. F LAX HARVESTING MACHINE. APPLIOATIONFILED 11120.11, 190a.

Ba tented Aug. 9, 1910.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

rm: NORRIS rz-rzns co, WASHINGTON. n c.

J. H. PHILIPP & G. P. GARAGHTY. FLAX HARVESTING MACHINE. APPLICATIONIILED' 13110.11, 1908.

v966,470. Pa tented Aug. 9, 1910.

3SHEETSSHEBT 2.

Annmegh J. H- PHILIP]? & 0. F. GARAGHTY.

FLAX HARVESTING MACHINE. APFLIUATION FILED DEO.11, 1908.

Patented Aug. 9, 1910.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

THE uonms PETERS co. WASHINGTON, n, c

%TATE% PATENT @FFlQE.

JULIUS H. PHILIPP, 0]? PORT HURON, AND CHARLES F. GARAGHTY, OF DETROIT,

MICHIGAN.

FLAX-HARVESTING MACHINE.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, JULIUS H. PHILIPP, a citizen of the United States,residing at Port Huron, St. Clair county, Michigan, and CHARLES F.GARAGHTY, also a citizen of the United States, residing at Detroit, inthe county of lVayne, State of Michigan, have invented certain new anduseful Improvements'in Flax-Harvesting Machines; and we do declare thefollowing to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention,such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains tomake and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings,and to the figures of reference marked thereon, which form a part ofthis specification.

This invention relates to a flax harvesting machine, and consists in theconstruction and arrangement of parts hereinafter more fully set forthand pointed out particularly in the claims.

The primary object of the invention is to provide comparatively simpleand effective means for harvesting standing flax by pulling it from theground and delivering the stalks onto a table or platform from whencethey may be conveyed and disposed of in any desired manner.

A further object is to provide means for pulling the flax wherein thearrangement is such that undue crushing and abrasion of the stalks isobviated, and at the same time provision is made for maintaining therequisite pressure upon the pulling rollers which engage the stalksnotwithstanding any variation in the size of the stalks or in thequantity which may from time to time be present between the pullingrollers.

A further object of the invention is to provide means for driving therollers in pairs so as to permit of a lateral movement of said rollerswithout interfering with the driving thereof.

A further object is to provide for gathering the flax in advance of thepulling rollers and directing the gathered stalks therebetween in amanner to insure a correct opera tion of the rollers upon the stalks offlax in the operation of pulling said stalks.

A further object is to provide for so Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed December 11, 1908.

Patented A11 9, 1910.

Serial No. 466,934.

mounting and actuating the pulling rollers as to render them efiectivein the operation of pulling the stalks from the ground and depositingthem upon the platform of the machine.

The above objects are attained by the, mechanism illustrated in theaccompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a fragmentary view in sideelevation, showing one embodiment of our invention in a machine of thecharacter described. Fig. 2 is a fragmentary view in plan of the guardsand the front portion of the machine in which the pulling rollers aremounted, said view being in the direction of the large arrow in Fig. 1.Fig. 3 is a horizontal section as on line 33 of Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is a planview of the machine. Fig. 5 is an enlarged transverse section throughone of the pulling rollers. view of a portion of one of the shafts orspindles upon which said rollers are mounted, showing the flat angularportions thereof which are embraced by the coiled springs to flexiblymount or suspend the rollers upon said shafts or spindles. Fig. 7 is atransverse section through one of the rollers, showing a modifiedconstruction for flexibly mounting the roller upon its supporting shaftor spindle. Fig. 8 is a fragmentary view in section through one of thesupporting castings in which the rollers are mounted, the roller shownappearing in elevation. Fig. 9 is a fragmentary view partly in section,showing the manner of mounting the rollers on their shafts andsupporting said shafts in adjustable boxes in the castings forming apart of the frame. Fig. 10 is an elevation of two of the adjustableboxes in which the ends of the roller shafts are journaled. Fig. 11 is asectional view on line 1111 of Fig. 12, showing an arrangement forpivotally mounting the gathering arms and actuating them by a fixed camto retract them from the stalks of flax and prevent carrying said stalksinto the housing through an opening in which said arms project. Fig. 12is an elevation of the parts shown in Fig. 11, with some of theassociated parts appearing in section.

Referring to the characters of reference, 1

Fig. 6 is a perspective designates the frame of the machine which may beof any suitable construction, but which is preferably of the characterof harvesting machines in common use. Crossing the front of the machineand secured to the frame thereof is an angle bar 2 which may be termedthe front beam or sill of the frame.

The active elements comprised in the flax pulling mechanism whichoperate upon the stalks of flax to pull them from the ground and depositthem upon the platform 3 of the machine, consist of a series of rollersset at a suitable incline and rotatable in pairs in opposite directionsbetween which the stalks of flax are directed by the projecting guardsand by the gathering arms, which latter rotate in conjunction with saidrollers.

The pulling rollers 4C are projected in advance of the angle iron sill 2of the frame of the machine and are held at an angle of approximately 55to a perpendicular by means of a suitable supporting frame comprising aplurality of cast sections or brackets 5 arranged in parallelism, andeach of which is provided with a rectangular base portion 6 adapted tofit into the angle of the sill or cross beam 2 to which it is secured bythe transverse bolts 7.

Each of the brackets 5, excepting those at the opposite ends of theframe, are adapted to carry two of the rollers 4 which are mounted uponspindles or shafts 8 that are in turn journaled at their opposite endsin slidable boxes 9 and 10 respectively. The boxes 9 are mounted in adovetailed way in the head portion 11 of the bracket 5, and the boxes 10are mounted in a dovetailed Way in the foot portion 12 of said bracket.A screw 13 having a right and left thread at its opposite ends connectsthe boxes 9 for the purpose of moving said boxes laterally to ad ust therollers upon the shafts 8. A similar screw 14 connects the boxes 10 atthe opposite ends of the shaft 8 for a similar purpose.

The rollers, as will be seen, are hollow and each is provided with aconical forward end 15 for the purpose of more readily directing thestalks of flax between them. The opening 16 in the conical end of eachof the rollers is of such diameter as to avoid contact with the shaft 8,which passes therethrough, even when said roller is moved laterally withrespect to said shaft.

To mount the rollers upon the shafts 8 so as to render them laterallymovable, and at the same time cause them to rotate with said shafts,each of said rollers is provided with a plurality of coiled springs 17which cross the interior diametrically and whose ends are secured to theinner wall of the roller. These springs are located at the opposite endsof the rollers and are preferably employed in pairs so positioned as tocross the interior of the roller at right angles. In order to suspendthe roller from the shaft by means of said springs, said shaft isprovided with a flat portion 18 at the point where the spring crossesthe'same which stands at such an angle as to enter between the coils ofthe spring, as clearly shown in Figs. 5 and 6, whereby each of thesprings 17 becomes attached at its longitudinal center to the shaft andthe roller becomes suspended or yieldingly supported upon the shaftthrough the medium of said springs, which while causing the roller torotate with the shaft, permit said roller to have a lateral movementthereon in all directions. As before stated, each of the brackets orcast sections 5 contain two of the rollers 4, and

said brackets are so mounted upon the sill or angle beams 2 as to afforda space between them. The rollers are so disposed in said brackets as tocause a portion of their peripheries to project beyond the plane thereofso that when the brackets are properly positioned, the peripheries ofthe opposed rollers in the adjacent brackets will engage each otherthroughout the length of the parallel faces thereof. As the machineadvances, the stalks of flax are directed by the forwardly projectingguards 19 between the pairs of rollers, which turn in contiguity,whereby said rollers are caused to act upon said stalks to pull themfrom the ground and discharge them rearwardly onto the platform of themachine.

To provide for driving the rollers so that the rollers of each pairwhose faces are contiguous, shall revolve in opposite directions tocarry the stalks upwardly between them, the shaft of each roller whichat its lower end extends into the opening 20 at the base of the bracket5, has mounted thereon a suitable sprocket wheel 21. These sprocketwheels are in horizontal alinement and are driven by a chain 22 whichpasses alternately over and under the successive sprocket wheels on theshafts of the rollers, as clearly shown in Fig. 3, and over a drivingsprocket wheel 23 mounted on a stub shaft 2st which is supported in theframe and which also carries a beveled gear wheel 25, as shown in Fig.4. The beveled gear 25 meshes with a like gear 26 on one end of shaft27. The opposite end of shaft 27 carries a sprocket wheel 28 over whichpasses a sprocket chain 29 leading from a sprocket wheel 30 on shaft 31.Said last mentioned shaft is driven through the medium of a sprocketwheel 32 thereon over which passes a chain 33 from the large sprocketwheel 34 on the traction wheel 35. Because of the fact that the sprocketchain 22 passes over the sprocket wheel of one roller and under thesprocket wheel of the other of each pair whose faces are in contact,said rollers are driven concurrently in opposite directions to carrybetween them the stalks of flax. The importance of driving the rollersthrough the medium of the sprocket chain will further be appreciatedwhenit is understood that in order to effect a proper adjustment of thepairs of rollers whose faces are contiguous a lateral movement of theboxes in which the shafts of said rollers are journaled is necessarythrough an operation of the adjusting screws 13 and 14. This movement ofsaid boxes in order to adjust said rollers, causes, necessarily, avariation in distance between the sprocket wheels of each operative pairof rollers. Because of the employment of the driving sprocket chain,this adjustment may be eflected without in any way interfering with thedriving of the rollers.

Because of the fact that the rollers are yieldingly or flexibly mountedon their shafts through the medium of the springs 17, a lateraladjustment of the boxes in which the shafts of the rollers arejournaled, may be made to create any desired pressure between thecontiguous faces of the rollers, operating in pairs, so as to aflord thenecessary grip upon the stalks between the faces of said rollers. Itwill further be apparent that because of the yielding or flexiblemounting of the rollers on their shafts, a lateral movement of therollers independently of the movement of the shaft is provided for,whereby said rollers may adjust themselves to any variation in the sizeof the stalks of flax,or in the quantity of flax which may from time totime pass between them, insuring a perfect operation of the rollers uponthe stalks of flax to pull them from the ground under all conditions.

The guards 19 consist of upper arms which are secured at 36 to theopposite sides of the head portion of the brackets 5 and converge to apoint 37 and of lower arms secured to the sides of the base portion ofsaid brackets and converging to the point 3'7. The projectin points ofthe guards divide the stalks of flax, and the sides of said guardsdirect the divided stalks into the openings between the parallelbracket-s 5 in position for entrance between the pairs of rollers, asthe machine moves forward.

For the purpose of gathering the stalks which enter between the guards,and passing them forcibly between the pairs of rollers, gatherers aremounted upon the upper ends of the roller shafts, each of whichcomprises a hub portion 38 which receives said shaft and from whichextend the radial arms 39 which turn with said shaft and with theroller. The gatherers are so positioned with respect to the pairs ofrollers which operate upon the stalks-of flax to pull the same, as tocross a portion of the space between said rollers from opposite sidesand forcibly engage and direct the stalks of flax therebetween. Thegatherers are protected by a vertical housing 40 which is mounted uponthe head of each of the brackets 5 and which is provided with openings41 in the sides thereof through which the arms of the gatherers extend.As the shafts of the rollers revolve, the arms of the gatherers passthrough said openings into engagement with the stalks of flax andwithdraw into the housing through said openings after carrying thestalks of flax between the rollers. This arrangement prevents the stalksof flax becoming entangled with the arms of the gatherers and wrappedaround the upper end of the roller shafts. For the purpose ofwithdrawing the arms of the gatherers more directly from the flax aftersaid arms have operated thereon to carry the stalks between the rollersand prevent the possibility of dragging the stalks through the openingsin the housings through which the arms pass, said arms may be pivotallymounted, as shown in Fig. 11, and actuated at a predetermined point toswing upon said pivots so as to shorten the sweep of said arms and causethem to withdraw more directly into the housing. This constructioninvolves a rotary plate 42 which is fixed to and rotates with the shaft8 and upon which are pivoted at l3 the gathering arms 39. Fixed to thehead 11 of the bracket 5 is a cam 44- which may be maintained fixedly inplace by a dowel pin 45 which enters said head. The pivoted ends of thearms 39 are provided with a lateral projection 45* having a concavedface l6 which rides upon the high point of the cam 44 and holds the armextended and rigidly in operative position when engaging the stalks offlax to carry them between the rollers. After each arm in succession hasacted upon the flax, the projection 45 thereon rides off of the highpoint of the cam, allowing the arm to swing upon its pivot and withdrawmore directly into the housing, the position of said arms at which timeis shown in Fig. 11, by the arms 39 which are engaging with theirprojections 45 the low side of the cam. As each arm in turn againencounters the high point of the cam, they are swung outwardly intooperative position, as will be well understood.

In Fig. 7 is shown a transverse section of one of the rollers wherein isemployed supporting or suspending springs of a different type from thesprings illustrated in the other views of the drawing. The springs shownin Fig. 7 are flat U-shaped springs 47, the outer ends of which arebolted to the inner wall of the roller 4 and the inner ends of which arebolted, as shown at &8, to the shaft 8. Springs of the form shown inFig. 7 for connecting the roller to the shaft suspend the rollerflexibly or yieldingly upon the shaft in the same manner as do thesprings 17. The last mentioned springs however are preferred because oftheir greater flexibility.

Extending horizontally along the front of the machine and passingthrough the base portions of the brackets 5 is the guard rod 49 whichreceives at its ends the nuts 50. This rod supports and strengthens thebrackets at the base thereof and serves as a guard to protect therollers and the driving mechanism thereof from injury by any objectprojecting from the ground which might otherwise damage said operativeparts. Said rod also serves to clean the dirt from the roots of the flaxstalks as they are drawn over it by the operation of the rollers inpulling the flax and discharging the stalks from between them onto theplatform of the machine.

Having thus fully set forth our invention, what we claim as new anddesire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a flax harvesting machine, the combination with the frame thereof,of a series of rotatable rollers cooperating in pairs, the rollers ofeach pair being flexibly mounted upon their driving shafts to permit atransverse movement of the rollers with respect to the shafts during therotation thereof.

2. In a flax harvesting machine, the com bination with the frame, of aseries of rotatable rollers supported on the frame cooperating in pairs,said rollers being flexibly mounted to have a transverse movement withrespect to their axis of rotation.

3. I11 a flax harvesting machine, the combination with a supportingframe, of a plurality of rotatable shafts mounted in said frame, pullingrollers upon said shafts cooperating in pairs, each of said rollers be-'ing so connected with its supporting shaft as to have a transversemovement with respect thereto during the rotation thereof.

4. I11 a flax pulling machine, the combination with a suitable frame, ofa plurality of rotatable shafts journaled in said frame in parallelrelation, means for adjusting laterally the ends of said shafts, pullingrollers upon said shafts cooperating in pairs, each of said rollersbeing flexibly mounted on its driving shaft to have atransverse movementthereon independently of the movement of the shafts.

In a flax harvester, the combination with a suitable frame, of aplurality of forwardly and upwardly inclined shafts journaled in theframe in parallel relation, a plurality of pulling rollers mounted onsaid shafts and cooperating in pairs, a rotary gather-er upon the upperend of each shaft projecting in advance of the rollers, said gathererscooperating in pairs to carry the stalks of flax between the pullingrollers of each pair, a sprocket wheel upon the lower end of each ofsaid shafts, a sprocket chain passing over said sprocket wheels in amanner to impart the desired rotation to the roller shafts, and meansfor driving said sprocket chain.

6. In a flax harvesting machine, a frame, a plurality of rotatableshafts mounted on said frame, pulling rollers on said shafts cooperatingin pairs, each of said rollers being so connected with its shaft as tohave a transverse movement with relation thereto, a sprocket wheel onthe lower end of each of said shafts, a sprocket chain passing over saidsprocket wheels in a manner to impart the desired rotation to therollers of each pair, and means for driving said chain.

7. In a flax harvesting machine, the combination with a suitable frame,of a plurality of forwardly and upwardly inclined shafts mounted in saidframe, a plurality of pulling rollers upon said shafts cooperating inpairs, said rollers being flexibly mounted upon their shafts to have atransverse movement with respect to their normal axes of rotation,rotary gatherers upon the forwardly projecting upper ends of the rollershafts each having an axis of rotation fixed with respect to the axis ofits shaft, said gatherers cooperating in pairs to carry the stalks offlax between the flexibly mount-ed rollers, and means for imparting tothe rollers of each pair a rotary movement in opposite directions.

8. In a flax harvesting machine, the combination with a suitable frame,of a plurality of shafts journaled in said frame, a plurality of rollersloosely embracing said shafts, and springs in each of said rollersextending between the shaft and the wall of the roller and connectingthe rollers to the shaft.

9. In a flax harvesting machine, the combination with a suitable frame,of a plurality of shafts journaled in the frame, rollers upon saidshafts arranged to cooperate in pairs, a plurality of springs in each ofsaid rollers, said springs crossing the roller diametrically andengaging the shaft to flexibly suspend the roller thereon.

10. In a flax harvesting machine, the combination with a suitable frame,of a plurality of shafts mounted in the frame, a movable box at theopposite end of each shaft, rollers mounted upon the shafts andcooperating in pairs, means for adjusting the boxes of the pairs ofrollers to move the shafts of said rollers transversely, and springswithin the rollers connecting them to their respective shafts.

11. In a flax harvesting machine, the combination with a suitable frame,of a plurality of forwardly and upwardly inclined shafts journaledin theframe cooperating in pairs, pulling rollers flexibly mounted upon saidshafts to have a movement transversely of the normal axes thereof, saidrollers cooperating in pairs, means for driving the roller shafts tocause the rollers of each pair to revolve in opposite directions,

a rotary gatherer projecting in advance of each pair of rollers anddisposed above the upwardly and forwardly inclined ends thereof, saidgatherer being actuated to carry the stalks of flax between the rollersas they revolve.

12. In a flax harvesting machine, a frame, a plurality of rotatableshafts mounted on said frame, means for adjusting laterally the ends ofsaid shafts, pulling rollers on said shafts cooperating in pairs, eachof said rollers being so connected with its shaft as to have atransverse movement with relation thereto, a sprocket wheel on the lowerend of each of said shafts, a sprocket chain passing over said sprocketwheels in a manner to im part the desired rotation to the rollers ofeach pair, and means for driving said chain.

13. In a flax harvesting machine, a frame, a plurality of rotatableshafts mounted on said frame, pulling rollers on said shafts cooperatingin pairs, each of said rollers being so connected with its shaft as tohave .a transverse movement thereon, a rotary gatherer projecting inadvance of each pair of rollers and disposed above the upper endsthereof, said gatherer being actuated to carry the stalks of flaxbetween the rollers as they revolve, a sprocket wheel on the lower endof each of the roller shafts, a sprocket chain passing over saidsprocket wheels in a manner to impart the desired rotation to therollers of each pair, and means for driving said chain.

. 1 1. In a flax harvesting machine, a supporting frame, a plurality ofrotatable shafts mounted in the frame, pulling rollers upon said shaftscooperating in pairs, one roller of each pair being movably connectedwith its supporting shaft to have a transverse movement with respectthereto during the rotation thereof, a rotary gatherer projecting inadvance of each pair of rollers and actuated to carry the stalks of flaxbetween the rollers of each pair as they revolve, and means for drivingsaid rollers and said gatherers.

15. In a machine for the purpose set forth, the combination with asuitable frame, of a plurality of brackets mounted in said frame inparallelism and spaced from one another, the bases of said bracketsprojecting forwardly and upwardly, rollers journaled in said brackets,said rollers cooperating in pairs to pull the stalks of flax, and aguard rod passing through and connecting the projecting bases of saidbrackets, said rod crossing the spaces between the brackets below and inadvance of the lower ends of said rollers.

16. In a flax harvesting machine, the combination with a supportingframe, of a plurality of rotatable shafts mounted in the frame, pullingrollers upon said shafts cooperating in pairs, one roller of each pairbeing movably connected with its supporting shaft to have a transversemovement with respect thereto during. the rotation thereof.

17 In a flax harvesting machine, a frame, a plurality of rotatableshafts mounted on the frame, pulling rollers on said shafts cooperatingin pairs, one roller of each pair being movably connected with its shaftto have a transverse movement with respect thereto, a rotary gathererprojecting in advance of each pair of rollers and disposed above theupper ends thereof, said gatherer being actuated to carry the stalks offlax between the rollers as they revolve, a sprocket wheel on the lowerend of each ofthe roller shafts, a sprocket chain passing over saidsprocket wheels in a manner to impart the desired rotation to therollers of each pair, and means for driving said chain.

18. A flax harvesting machine comprising, a frame, a series of rotatablepulling rollers supported on the frame cooperating in pairs, one rollerof each pair being movably mounted on its supporting parts to have atransverse movement with respect to its normal axis of rotation.

19. A flax harvester comprising a suitable frame, a plurality offorwardly and upwardly inclined shafts journaled in the frame inparallel relation, a plurality of relatively long pulling rollersmounted on said shafts in operative relation and cooperating in pairs topull the stalks of flax by direct engagement of the rotating peripheriesof the rollers therewith throughout the entire length of said rollers, arotary gatherer on the upper end of each roller shaft projecting inadvance of said rollers, said gatherers cooperating in pairs to carrythe stalks of flax between the pulling rollers of each pair, and meansfor rotating the roller shafts to impart to-the rollers and gatherersthe desired rotation.

20. A flax harvesting machine comprising a suitable frame, a pluralityof rotatable pulling rollers flexibly mounted to have a movementtransversely of their normal axis of rotation, said rollers cooperatingin pairs, means for driving the rollers to cause the rollers of eachpair to revolve in opposite directions, a rotary gatherer projecting inadvance of each pair of rollers, said gatherers being actuated to carrythe stalks of flax between the rollers as they revolve.

21. A flax harvesting machine comprising a frame, a series of rotatablepulling rollers In testimony whereof, We sign this speci- 7 supported onthe frame cooperating in pairs, fication in the presence of twoWitnesses.

one roller of each pair being movably mount- JULIUS H PHILIPP ed on itssupportin parts to have a transverse movement with respect to its normalCHARLES GARAGHTY' axis of rotation, a rotary gatherer for eachWitnesses: palr of rollers, and means for rotating said E. S. WHEELER,rollers and sald gatherers. I. G. HOWLETT.

